


of reds and blues

by Phosphenes_Ronin



Series: Glimpses into the days we never lived [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Spies & Secret Agents, Happy Birthday Pho, Identity Reveal, Keith and Lance are partners as agents, Klance is implied, Lance is extra, M/M, Pining Keith (Voltron), Pining Lance (Voltron), Written As A Birthday Present, but also know each other out of work, but they dont know that last part
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-22
Updated: 2017-10-22
Packaged: 2019-01-21 04:48:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12449970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phosphenes_Ronin/pseuds/Phosphenes_Ronin
Summary: “You know,” Blue said out of nowhere, looking over Red with a careful eye that seemed out of character for him. Then again, Red always got the vague sense that there was more to the boy than meets the eye. Something he knew, but couldn’t quite place. “You’re really familiar.”Red paused in his work to look at Blue once more, and Blue noticed himself the peculiar way Red examined him. Something was off. Too familiar. “Hm,” Red shrugged, “Probably passed you in the street before. Small city, you know?”“Yeah,” Blue agreed, despite them both knowing somewhere inside them that that wasn’t the case. “Small city.”...Or, the Secret Agent / Coffee Shop AU that was actually asked for





	of reds and blues

**Author's Note:**

> This was written by Ronin for Phosphenes' birthday!! Happy birthday :)

“You got a visual?” Red murmured quietly to seemingly no one as he resisted the urge to peek around the corner ever so slightly. He was too well trained to actually do so, but a part of him was tempted for the sole purpose of ticking off his partner.

“Yeah. Hold that position, then make a break for the office.” Blue said with the confidence Red only heard him have when the boy held a sniper. Blue was immature, childish, and very difficult to get along with, but Red would have been foolish to not be impressed (and a tiny bit intimidated - not that he’d ever admit it) by the boy’s inherent pinpoint accuracy.

Red nodded slightly, not risking himself being heard now that he knew that Blue could see him. He drew a breath in, relaxing his muscles as he waited for his cue to move.

“Now!” The gap in the guard’s rotation was incredibly brief, and if they were off even by a bit then the entire operation would have to be scrapped. That was, of course, if they both managed to avoid capture.

Red moved with the swiftness and gracefulness of a wild cat, silently yet quickly making progress and managing to enter the designated room with a few moments to spare.

Blue was surprised; he knew that his partner was known for his speed, but even with his high-powered and doubtlessly ridiculously expensive scope, he had barely been able to see Red as the boy flawlessly exploited the tiny break in the guard’s rotation that Blue had created earlier with a well-timed shot and a sprinkler.

“I lost visual,” Red heard Blue report soon after he entered the room. It was unsurprising as the office was located in the center of the building, far from any windows. Red tapped the communicator once as a sign that he had heard the boy, before scanning the room quickly.

Red took out a small device from his belt, before pressing a button and moving it carefully so that it faced every inch of the room. He then smirked to himself before clipping it back on.

“Tech was right,” He said, his voice in a low whisper as he quickly moved over to one of the filing cabinets. “No bugs or cams. They _really_ don’t want the chance anyone gets wind of what’s stored in here.”

“Yeah,” Blue smiled as he stood, picking up his sniper rifle and holding it with both hands as he looked down at the building across the street from his position. The night air was cool, and he reveled in how the city thrived around them, unaware of what they were doing under the moonlight. “That’s why they pay us. You find it?”

“Of course,” Red said confidently, tucking the file into his waistband. He then carefully reattached the front of the filing cabinet - the file had been stored inside the front plate of one of the drawers. “Ready for departure?”

“Getting into position. Let’s blow this popsicle stand.”

. . .

“Next in line, please,” Keith called out as he shut the register’s drawer with a loud thud. He fixed his face into an especially fake smile as he greeted his next customer. “Hello, sir. How may I help you today?” He said pleasantly, throwing every ounce of sweetness he could muster into his voice. It would have been rather convincing to anyone who knew absolutely nothing about him, as he had been trained by too many long shifts and stupid customers.

“Just...no, Keith. That’s creepy,” Lance said, looking at the fake smile with something akin to fear. Lance did not fall into the category of people he didn't know him, and thus the entire facade crumbled quickly. Keith internally basked in success -  Lance’s reaction was what he had been gunning for - before dropping the act in a second. In its place was a familiar glare at the Cuban.

“Ah, see, that’s much better. There’s the grumpy face we all know.” Lance grinned goofily, his dark blue eyes filled with humor as he leaned across the countertop, nearly bumping over a stack of napkins with his elbow.

“You’re holding up the line,” Keith pointed out, eyeing the ever growing line of coffee addicts and sleep deprived students (after, of course, the customary eyeroll at Lance’s actions).  “What do you want to order?” He finally sighed, looking back at Lance and mentally calculating how long he had until his shift was over.

Far too long, he surmised.

“The usual,” Lance said flippantly, no newcomer to the place of service. “It was a long night, and you know I need my caffeine fix.” He reminded Keith, pushing himself back up so he was no longer leaning on the counter between them. It emphasized the height difference between the two boys, as Keith was far shorter than Lance.

“I’m not sure that you don’t need to be fixed in the head,” Keith muttered irritably as he wrote down Lance’s order and name. Despite his words, Lance never even had to speak a word of detail about the order itself for Keith to know exactly what he wanted.

Keith didn’t even bother opening his mouth to say the cost, but they both knew he didn’t need to. Money exchanged hands as easily as jibes did between the two. Lance had been a regular customer since Keith’s first week at the café, and they were both so use to the routine that it was something like second nature to them now. They’d be lying not only to each other, but to themselves if they claimed to not have it down to a science.

“See you tomorrow, mullet!” Lance called over his shoulder, a warm cup of coffee in his hands as he exited the loud coffee shop into the cool city streets. He stretched slightly (as certain muscles were still rather cramped from the night prior) before sighing and turning. He slowly made his way away from the small shop and the tired barista that worked there, his mind turning from the night before to the day ahead.

He didn’t look back at the shop, but he didn’t need to - they both knew he’d be back tomorrow.

. . .

“What about Blue?” Red inquired at the end of the briefing, looking at his long time friend as well as his superior, Takashi ‘Shiro’ Shirogane.

“This is a solo mission,” Shiro explained, which fit as Red had been struggling to see how a sharpshooter would be a necessity in this particular mission.

“He's gonna be disappointed,” Red mused slightly, distracting how he himself was slightly disappointed that he wouldn't see the cheery boy for quite some time, as this was bound to be a rather long operation.

Shiro looked Red over, “He’ll be focused on his own mission,” Shiro told him, looking amused, “But I'll be happy to tell him you'll miss him.”

“Sir, with all due respect, _shut the hell up.”_ Red growled. He only ever called Shiro ‘sir’ in cases such as these ones in order to have it not mistaken for insubordination. Well, at least, that was how it started. Now they both knew the difference clearly, but the habit stuck too well for either of them to bother to try and break it.

Shiro chuckled, clapping a hand against Red’s shoulder - an action only he could do without fear of the limb being twisted or snapped. In all fairness, Red didn't know if he _could_ snap it. It was a high-tech metal arm, created especially for Shiro after he lost it on a high-profile mission a few years back.

“Don't worry, Red. This is an easy op. You'll be able to see him again in a month or so.” Shiro reassured him. “You might as well get ready now - your plane leaves in a few hours.” He informed him, before turning to exit the meeting room. Usually they would chat for longer, but everything about the entire day was rushed, and Red could sense that Shiro’s mind was already on the next task at hand.

Red sighed, looking at the papers on the table before moving them neatly together and placing them into the file they had come in. He picked it up and exited the room, moving quickly through the halls of the complex and not making eye contact with anyone.

He was in no mood for conversation (not that that was atypical for him) as his mood had been unexpectedly soured by the briefing.

Not that Red was going to miss Blue, of course. That was ridiculous. He had barely seen the other boy since they first met, as most of their missions only required them talking to each other from separate locations.

No, he wouldn't miss Blue. That was a ridiculous thought.

. . .

Lance didn't look up from his phone until he got to the front of the line at the café, before quickly tucking it away. It was important business, but he would never be _that_ person.

Besides, he had thought of a new way to tick Keith off. That was far more important than his work.

(Most people would disagree.)

“Hey, K-” Lance said as he moved forward, before he cut himself off in surprise as he realized that the person behind the counter was not Keith at all. Standing there was a girl, probably only a few years older, with long white hair that had certainly been dyed that way so it would contrast against her dark skin. Her eyes were a beautiful blue, and held strength and authority in them.

She was gorgeous.

She was also certainly not Keith.

“Oh, uh, sorry.” Lance fumbled, and she smiled at him kindly.

“Not to worry,” Oh, and she had a graceful British accent. “What would you like to order?”

“Oh, uh, um,” Lance struggled a bit before he could speak once more, saying the order out. Sure, Keith had been out before, but Lance had simply just not expected it, nor for a beautiful woman to be put in his place. It was quite different from the grumbling boy with the ugly mullet and harsh glares that he knew.

Heck, she even laughed at one of his jokes! Granted, it was just a small chuckle and was preceded by an eye roll, but it was a laugh nonetheless.

But all accounts, it should have been a good experience.

Despite all of that, however, his only thought when he left the café were about where Keith had gone.

. . .

Blue grinned when he was handed the case file. _Takashi Shirogane_ was giving him his mission! The guy was a complete _legend._ How could he not grin at that?

He was so distracted by it, in fact, that he almost completely missed the girl sitting across from him. She wore a colorful hijab, with her reddish brown hair color visible only through disobeying strands. She was about his height, perhaps slightly taller, with incredibly light blue eyes.

“Wait, _you're_ my partner for this? Where’s Red?” He questioned, before realized that it could come off as rude. “I mean, not that I don't, uh, wanna work with you.”

She gave him a smile, “Nah, I get it. I mean, my usual partner is currently out with a broken leg. But if I didn't know that, I'd be right there with you.” She assured him.

He gave her a grateful nod, before looking at Shiro questioningly.

“Red was assigned something different that is estimated to take a month. And since both of you are currently without a partner and your skill sets are compatible, you'll be expected to work together for the time being.” Shiro looked between them. “I don't expect any problems.”

Blue shook his head, and the girl did as well.

“We’ll be fine,” She assured him, and he nodded.

Blue agree with her from a professional standpoint.

That didn't stop him from wishing that Red was standing there instead.

. . .

The coffee didn't taste the same with Keith gone, and the girl kept putting him down as ‘Luke’.

Lance threw out his latest coffee after only a single sip. It was too sweet for him. There needed to be just enough bitterness to contrast it, or else it was no good.

He still went to the café everyday.

. . .

Red let out a sigh of relief as he looked at the papers in his hands. He had just dedicated a few hours into post-mission paperwork, which there was quite a lot of.

Finally, it was done, and soon enough this mission would be behind him and things could go back to some semblance of normality.

He stapled the papers before moving to place them in the bin, but hesitated as he caught sight of some of the papers already in there.

He recognized Blue’s messy scrawl on sight.

He stood there uncertainly, before scanning the paper. A faint stab of emotion his his heart, but he couldn't identify it. He frowned slightly.

Ezor?

Apparently Blue’s partner while he was away, who fully filled the gap Red left. The way Blue described her actions, she seemed highly capable, if a bit unorthodox.

Which was remarkably like Blue. Red could picture their partnership - probably joking and laughing the whole time. They had contrasting skills but complementing personalities. A perfect partnership.

Red dropped the papers into the bin and turned, trying to push those thoughts out of his mind.

. . .

Keith was back.

Lance _totally_ wasn’t excited to see him again.

Lance raised an eyebrow when he stepped up to the counter. “Well well well, look who decided to stop pouting. Let me guess why you were out - Hot Topic closed and you had to go into a state of complete angst?” It was snarkier than usual, but it effectively hid how happy Lance was to see Keith, and how relieved he was that the boy was okay.

“Some of us have lives outside of here, for your information.” Keith told him pointedly. Lance tried not to notice how he clearly had several signs of exhaustion visible - his slouched posture, the bags under his eyes, the fact that he didn't even try to insult Lance properly, etc.

Lance rolled his eyes, before placing the money on the counter. Keith moved to take down his order while Lance spoke. “Y'know, there was this really nice barista working here while you were gone. She was gorgeous too. Accent and everything.” He said, watching Keith’s reaction carefully.

“Oh, Allison?” Keith asked, and something flashed through his eyes and was gone far too quick for Lance to decrypt it. “Yeah, she's the owner’s niece or something.” Keith then gave Lance a look, “She’s also completely gay, so good luck with that one.”

Lance looked at him in surprise, before shaking his head slightly. “The cute ones always are.”

When Lance left the coffee shop that day, his step was lighter than it had been in a while, and his coffee tasted better than ever.

As Keith continued his day, he tried to keep his thoughts away from the Cuban boy who he had come out to a few months prior.

. . .

“Blue!” Blue turned at the sound of his name being called, and turned to see Shiro jogging up to stand next to him. The man looked better rested than the last time Blue saw him, and gave him a small smile. “How’s the arm?”

“Better,” Blue grinned, “Besides, you should have seen the other guy.” On the last mission, Blue had gotten his arm wrenched when someone had attempted to disarm him. The joke was on them, however, since they obviously thought Blue’s skills were limited to what he could do with a gun.

Imagine their surprise when he perfectly showed them how to roundhouse kick someone in the face by using them as an example.

“Sorry for the late notice, but you think you’re ready to head out on the field again so soon?” Shiro asked, passing him a file that Blue skimmed through before looking back up at him.

“Yeah, sounds cool,” He nodded, unable to say no to the man who was his idol. Besides, boredom _had_ been creeping in on him. It wasn’t like he had anything better to do - he had just finished up going for a few rounds of practice at the shooting range. That hadn’t exactly cured his restlessness, but had proved to be quite satisfying when he got a perfect score,  “Ezor and I will check it out.” He assured the man, shutting the file.

Shiro hesitated, a good-natured mischievousness entering his eyes. “Actually…” Shiro trailed off uncertainly, before looking back at him. “I think your old partner will do just fine.” He informed Lance.

“Red’s back?!” Blue’s eyes widened, and he couldn’t stop the smile that made its way onto his face before he hastily covered it up. “I mean, uh, Red’s back?” He attempted again, trying to hide his enthusiasm.

Shiro merely rolled his eyes.

“He said he’ll meet you on site.” Shiro informed him, “He left a few minutes ago.”

“He just assumed that I’d say yes?” Blue asked, disbelief clear in his voice despite it being something totally in character for Red to do. “That cocky, s-”

Shiro chuckled, and Blue blinked as he realized he was about to rant about Red in front of _Takashi Shirogane._ Shiro, however, just looked amused by him. Mirth sparkled in the man’s eyes as he clapped Blue on the shoulder, “Save it for when you see him, Blue.” He said, before patting his shoulder once more and continuing on his way.

Blue looked at Shiro’s back in surprise, before looking back at the file in his hand. He shook his head slightly before turning and stalking in the back direction. Red was already there? Damn him for just _assuming_ he knew what Blue would choose. When he got there he’d give Red a piece of his mind.

And totally hide how much he missed Red for the past month.

. . .

The first time Lance met Keith was a late October day. It was early enough in the fall season that the weather wasn’t terribly cold, but just chilly enough that the only thought on Lance’s mind was how much he wanted a hot cup of coffee. He had walked right in, insulted the barista’s hair, gave him a rather large tip, before turning and leaving with his heart pounding faster than before. The coffee had been the best Lance had ever had, and he vowed to return again, unaware of the habit it would develop into.

The first time Red met Blue was an early August day. It was late enough in the summer season that the weather was scorching hot and the sun was far too bright, causing Red to pull up his hair into a ponytail and wear sunglasses as additions to his normal uniform. He had entered the building and realized that sunglasses were the perfect way to ensure that people didn’t know if you weren’t actually listening, therefore not taking them off. Others had been intimidated by his history as an unstable agent and his intimidating personality. Blue had merely groaned about how he was partnered with “ _That_ asshole who wears sunglasses inside.”

This mission was the first time Blue and Red would be face to face for an extensive period of time since their first meeting. It wasn’t on purpose, that was merely how it worked out with their skill sets. Blue was a sniper, while Red was close-combat. Red was point, while Blue was the lookout. They were long range and short range. There was never a reason for them both to be in the same place.

Until this mission required it.

“You know,” Blue said out of nowhere, looking over Red with a careful eye that seemed out of character for him. Then again, Red always got the vague sense that there was more to the boy than meets the eye. Something he knew, but couldn’t quite place. “You’re really familiar.”

Red paused in his work to look at Blue once more, and Blue noticed himself the peculiar way Red examined him. Something was off. Too familiar. “Hm,” Red shrugged, “Probably passed you in the street before. Small city, you know?”

“Yeah,” Blue agreed, despite them both knowing somewhere inside them that that wasn’t the case. “Small city.”

. . .

Lance entered the café late the next day. It was Friday, which meant Keith had the latest shift.

It was October, which meant Lance had known Keith for a full year.

So, with a grin and a ridiculously large bouquet in hand, he entered the café. He strategically hid behind those in front of him in line before leaping forward when it was his turn. “Happy one year anniversary, sweetheart!” He cried out, dropping the bouquet on the counter.

Keith blinked, before looking up to him in surprise, “What are you-”

“Don’t tell me you forgot, love.” Lance mock whined, leaning on the counter. “It’s our _anniversary.”_

“You...You seriously bought flowers for the first time I met you.” Keith said, staring at the flowers on the counter as if it was going to explode or they were in the midst of a rather intense staring contest.

“Well of course, darling.” Lance said, basically draped on the counter at this point. Keith _finally_ looked away from the bouquet, if only to look at the other customers. There were few, and it was late enough that none of them really looked like they had the time or energy to particularly care what was happening.

Keith looked back at him, before his eyes widened exponentially to the point where Lance actually frowned, concerned. He stood back up, while Keith seemed frozen.

“Uh, Keith? Earth to emo?” Lance asked, looking at Keith carefully. Had he gone to far? Done something wrong?

“Hey, Narti, can you cover for me?” Keith called out, apparently to someone in a back room. There was no real reply besides a dull thumping as if someone was hitting a table, which Keith seemed to take as an answer. He leapt over the counter, reaching out and grabbing Lance’s wrist, before pulling him out of the shop.

Lance complied, too confused to properly comprehend what was happening.

“Uh, dude? You okay?” Lance inquired when he finally found his voice after a few meters of being dragged. His voice seemed to shock Keith out of whatever trance he was in, and the ironclad grip on his wrist disappeared.

They were in a nearby alley, and if Lance hadn’t had the job he had, he might have been worried about being mugged. Keith seemed unaware of any dangers, and was simply pacing back and forth, obviously distressed.

“Hey, _hey!”_ Lance finally shouted, slapping his hands together to get Keith’s attention. “An explanation would be nice right about now, Keith. You’re kinda freaking me out.”

Keith stopped, leaning against one of the walls of the alley heavily. He then met Lance’s eyes. “Your arm.”

“My arm?” Lance repeated, confused.

“There’s a scar on your right arm. It runs vertically from your elbow up.” Keith elaborated.

“Yeah, and?” Lance asked, thankful for his training in deception. “I got it when I was younger.”

“No, you got it over a year ago when you took a knife to the arm a state over. You whined until we got back to HQ, even though it didn’t really hurt that badly. You just wanted to annoy me.” Keith said, his voice quiet before he suddenly slammed his fists into the brick wall, cursing.

Lance, however, was frozen.

“Wait...do you mean…” He looked over the boy with new eyes, and everything clicked. “Red?”

“I can’t _believe_ I didn’t... _damn it!”_ Keith yelled, punching the wall one more time, before stopping the abuse. He took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself down. “Hey, Blue.”

Keith then moved his fist back to hit the wall again, but Lance caught his gloved hand. “Stop hitting the wall. It didn’t do anything to you.”

“I’m an experienced agent, Lance. I’ve been doing this since I was ten. I should have noticed sooner.” Keith growled, wrenching his hand out of Lance’s grasp.

Lance rolled his eyes, “Yeah, and I’m the one who sees you all the time. Dude, _I’m_ the sniper. I see you all the time while I’m watching your back. We’re both at fault.”

“Yeah, but I-”

“If you say one more self-blaming thing, I’m kicking your ass. I don’t care if you’re Red or not, mullet!”

**Author's Note:**

> And that's a wrap!
> 
> Also, in case you're curious even after reading the description for the series 'Glimpses into the days we never lived', this story fits because of all the extra stuff that is part of this universe, but was cut out of this fic for plot purposes. For example, Pidge is the tech crew mentioned and old friends with Red, but what's the full story there? Shiro is exhausted at the first part because Matt just went missing, but later he's well rested. What happened? Where's Hunk and Coran? How did Narti's partner break her leg? And what was the mission Red had to spend a month on?
> 
> And of course the question on everyone's minds - where will Red and Blue go from here?
> 
> As you can see, that even though this fic is finished, the universe still could be expanded. Hopefully this helps you get a full understanding of the idea behind Glimpses!
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
